An Outfield prospect with major league potential for the Bucs is Austin Meadows. This high school Center fielder was drafted in the 1st round of the 2013 Amateur draft. The 18-year old player finished his amateur career playing for Grayson High School in Georgia and received a college commitment to play for Clemson. However, the left-handed hitter was the 9th overall pick in the draft and was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Austin Meadows has been compared to Jay Bruce of the Cincinnati Reds, and Colby Rasmus of the Toronto Blue Jays. Some of the scouting grades that he has received are: 35/55 hitting, 45/60 power, 60/60 speed, 50/60 defense, and 50/50 arm. The hitting and power components show the widest range due to Meadow’s lack of strength. As a hitter, his bat path is flat which creates more gap hitting as opposed to over the fence power. Even though Meadow’s exhibits a disciplined plate approach, his swing can be stiff and sometimes lacks explosiveness. The young man’s speed is above average and he’s referred to as a glider with good base running instincts. Defensively, Meadows is considered athletic but not physical. This 6’3”, 215-pound rookie has an accurate arm with a long clean action.
Overall, his future projection equates to an above-average regular with occasional All-Star potential. Currently, his five tools are relatively raw, but one has to remember that he just recently graduated high school. This prospect still has more time to grow and acclimate himself to the world of professional baseball.
Is it possible that this kid could get stronger "naturally" by proper training or Do major league teams sign guys hoping to get lucky?
ReplyDeleteMike,
ReplyDeleteMajor League teams have various levels of scouting personnel that follow amateur players throughout the country. These talent evaluators look for certain developed and undeveloped baseball specific tools. For example, hitting, hitting for power, arm strength, fielding, and speed. Also, they look for a certain mental makeup and natural athletic ability. So, even though luck sometimes play a role, it's more of a two pronged process. The evaluators identify the talent. The club's player development staff will transform raw skills into playing ability that translates to the professional game. In the case of Austin Meadows, the scouts identified some plus hitting attributes. The Pirates feel that with more strength conditioning and growth, Meadows can develop more over the fence power.